


The Infection

by CasualCazz



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell, Alternate Universe - Underswap, Birthing, Drama, Fluff, Giving Birth, M/M, Mpreg, Spicyhoney - Freeform, dystopian au, papcest - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-21 22:53:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14924385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CasualCazz/pseuds/CasualCazz
Summary: Edge lived a nice, quiet life until one day, a pregnant stranger comes banging down his door, claiming that he’s the father, and that he needs to help him. Despite all the dangers facing him, Edge agrees.





	The Infection

**Author's Note:**

> Finally, the fic for @cooterblaster‘s fanfiction contest is finished! I chose the “First Touch” prompt because it spoke to me the most. I wanted to make mine a little different and stand out from all the rest so I added in my own personal twist :3c. I don’t really care if I win or not (okay that’s a lie, I care a lot. I’m really competitive) I had a lot fun writing this fic and exploring this concept.

Touch is a disease. A single contact, could bring all of society crumbling down into disorder, chaos, instability. Anyone that has been infected are sent off to “quarantine” where they are supposedly cared for and live happy lives, or at least that is what the glorious Republic promises. For the protection of society, protection suits are required, babies are taken away at birth, and any personal relationship is immediately destroyed.

These rules have been ingrained into Edge’s mind since birth and as a proud soldier of the Republic, he will do what he must to uphold them. But still, after a long day of stationary duty, he sighs a breath of relief as he slips off his thin navy protective suit, that covered him from head to toe. His bones relaxes and releases the tensions of the day and slump onto his dusty couch, the particles fluttering in the air with his weight. Edge closes his eyes briefly, his mouth twitching in annoyance as the glaring sunlight peeking through his grey curtains, the neverending dullness spreading far and wide in his soul.

Suddenly a banging knock on his door brings him to his feet and he quickly slips on his suit and grabs his gun in the process. He rarely ever gets visitors. If anyone wanted to reach him, they would’ve called him on his phone, never visit in person. Taking a deep breath, he cracks the door slightly open, and a body comes hurling in, knocking him back, but Edge is quick. He slams the door closed, and points the gun at the figure.

“ON YOUR KNEES AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP!” he commanded.

The other monster obeyed, trembling.

“WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT?” Edge growls.

The monster looks up slowly, “Please, Mr. Edge, you have to help me.”

“WHO ARE YOU?!” he repeats once more.

The monster unzips his mask, and Edge growls, taking a step back, but allows him to continue anyway. The monster continues, revealing himself to be a skeleton monster just like him, with smooth cheekbones, and straight cut teeth, but a skeleton nonetheless. Edge gasps and backs away even more, his fingers heavy on the trigger. The stranger looks at him with pleading bright orange eyes, brighter than sunlight, stark among the whites and greys.

“YOU’RE INFECTED! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!”

“No please!” the skeleton begs, “I need your help!”

“THERE’S NOTHING I CAN HELP YOU WITH! I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU!”  

“Please! I’m pregnant! And it’s yours!” the skeleton cries.

Edge blinks in surprise, finally noticing the large bump through the other skeleton’s protection suit, but he doesn’t falter.

“SO WHAT?” he shrugs it off. He donates his sperm, as ordered, it wouldn’t be surprised if he had a couple kids.

“I can’t- I won’t let them take it!” the infected skeleton whimpers, clutching his stomach, “All I’m asking is for you to get me out of the city. Please.”

Edge twists his face into a snarl and presses the barrel square against the intruder’s forehead, “Are you aware that I am a soldier of the Republic? What’s stopping me from doing my duty and killing you right here?”

The skeleton pauses, his eyes wavering sadly, “When was the last time you truly felt happy? Really think about it.”

The question catches Edge off guard, but the thinks, his mind flashing back to a frail old shopkeeper turtle, placing a single piece of chocolate in Edge’s small hands. He remembers looking up, and felt a single pat on his head, before the old man walks away, fading from his memory. He only wished he could see his face properly so he could thank him.

Edge doesn’t respond, but the skeleton knows that he’s remembering.

“Hold on to that memory,” he says calmly, “Wouldn’t you want that for our child? For them to have that, all of their life, instead of a tiny speck?”

Edge glares.

“I’m only asking you to help me out of the city. After that, you can return to your life, and you can forget about me. I will never bother you again,” the skeleton begs, tears spilling from his eye sockets. Edge watches them fall curiously.

He sighs, and look around his apartment, bleak and bland, just like his life. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to have a little bit of excitement once in a while.

“Very well. I know a way past the walls through the tunnels. But rules first. Do not touch me, or I will shoot you dead,” Edge gestures to his gun, “And two, I will only take you to the tunnel, I will not go through with you.”

The other skeleton nods in complete understanding, finding no objection or will to argue. He profusely thanks him, then says to call him Stretch. Edge will remember that. They agree to set off later that night, when the bustling city is more desolate, so they don’t risk the chance of complications. The Republic soldier grabs a map of the city from his drawers and spreads it across the glass dining room table. He explains that the only working tunnels are all the way across the city, and the only way to access them is through the security detail in front of it.

“Wouldn’t we get caught if we go through there?” Stretch asks, his voice quivering with worry.

“There’s a chance,” Edge admits, “But the only way through the tunnel is behind a door in that building, which you will need my ID to unlock.”

Stretch nods, trying to steady his breathing.

They leave two hours later, in the cover of darkness, their suits concealing every inch of them. Edge guides them well, knowing the path in the dark of the night, without the moon or stars to light the way. Their slow pace annoys him, especially since if he was alone, he’d be going twice the speed they were heading now, but since Stretch is nine months pregnant with his child, he keeps his mouth shut. As the two of them traverse through the quickly, an alert rings from their phone, a message from the Republic Police.

“WARNING. WARNING. AN INFECTED PERSON HAS ESCAPED AND IS CARRYING GOVERNMENT PROPERTY,” Stretch looks down at his belly and rubs it, “REMAIN CALM AND STAY CLEAR. ANY INFORMATION SHALL BE REWARDED. END TRANSMISSION”

The message displays Stretch’s face and ID number. Edge grimaces.

“We have to keep moving. There isn’t much time.” he says.

Stretch nods in agreement, but suddenly, a harsh light from above stabs their eyes, and several troops surround them, all aiming their guns in their direction.

“WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED. YOU ARE BOTH UNDER ARREST FOR TREASON AGAINST THE GREAT REPUBLIC.” the microphone booms.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.” Edge mumbles under his breath, “Stay behind me.”

The soldiers all move in at once, and Edge pushes Stretch on the ground, and grabs his gun, firing at the enemies in quick precision. Bullets fly in a storm, and Stretch screams as he hunches over to protect himself. Edge fights his way through, knocking a guy out by his jaw, and kicking him into another soldier. Another jumps on him from behind, but Edge flips him over and hurls him onto the ground. After quickly checking that there were no scratches or cuts on his suit, Edge, picks up the heavy pregnant skeleton and runs for his life, zig zagging through the alleyways to confuse the soldiers. Huffing heavily, Edge sets Stretch down behind a large trash can as a cover.

“We need to ditch these suits,” Edge says hollowly, fully aware of the risk to himself, “There are trackers embedded in them.”

“There are?” Stretch asks in surprise, but the other skeleton is already stripping away and he quickly follows, leaving the two of them in nothing but faded grey tank tops and shorts.  

Without his suit, Edge stays further away from Stretch, naked and vulnerable without his protection. Every fiber in him screams how wrong this is, but he ignores it, and continues pushing forward. The two of reach the security building an hour later. Edge takes them around back, and they sneak through the back door, moving within the camera’s blind spots. Stretch rubs his stomach and occasionally whisper promises of freedom to it, as if the child was already born. Edge often caught himself staring in bewilderment, unable to comprehend why Stretch cared so much. Strikingly white walls fade after hallway after hallway, until the two of them reaches the door to the tunnels. Edge quickly scans his ID and the door silently slides open.

“Thank you for helping me,” Stretch says, nodding gratefully.

“Don’t thank me yet. I’m coming with you. Go in now,” the other skeleton orders.

Stretch quicky obeys, and Edge hurriedly closes the sliding doors. He takes a deep breath of relief. No one dares enter the tunnels, as it’s rumored to be infected too, but he doesn’t care. He’s just glad to be alive.

“You’re coming with me?” Stretch asks.

Edge nods, “The Republic doesn’t take too well to traitors. If I go back, they’ll kill me for helping you.”

The pregnant skeleton kicks a pile of rubble sadly, “I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”

Edge glances over, and gives him a small smile, “It’s okay. This is the most fun I’ve had in a… long time. I’ll figure something out.”

Stretch says nothing, and the two of the walk through the dark tunnel in silence, the soft glow of Stretch’s ecto-belly dimming over his shirt. Edge looks behind him, trying to muster up any sort of sentiment. Pain, longing, nostalgia, but nothing. He’s leaving his lifelong home for the unknown, and he should have some kind of reaction, but it’s like something is blocking those emotions. He wonders what Stretch might be thinking.

“So uh, how did you get infected?” Edge asks to break the silence.

“I worked with infected people… leading them ‘somewhere else’.” Stretch says, but Edge knows what he’s saying, “I was careless one day. There was an open patch in my suit that I didn’t notice, and the infected person touched me. It was like… It was indescribable.”

“Well, just don’t touch me,” Edge shivers, repeating the mantra he’s always heard.

“You know…” Edge meets his piercing orange eyes, “What they told you is a lie. This is not a disease.”

“Then what is it?” the former soldier furrows his bone brows.

“It’s a blessing.” Stretch smiles, “It’s what makes me want to risk everything to keep this baby. It’s not even born yet, but I already love it.”

“Sounds like a curse to me,” Edge scoffs, “You put yourself through a lot of pain for a single life.”

“It’s worth it,”

Suddenly, Stretch lurches forward, yelping as he falls to the dirt ground, clutching his stomach in agony. Edge automatically takes a step back, but hovers over the other skeleton in concern. Liquid splatter on the ground in between Stretch’s legs, his breathing heavy and strained. His bright orange eyes blows wide open as he emits a painful cry, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Fuck!” he cries, his bones trembling.

“Is it…”

“Yes the baby fucking coming!” the pregnant cries again, his screams echoing throughout the tunnel as he desperately slides his shorts off and spreads his legs.

“Well, push! Push goddammit!” Edge orders, helping in a way he only knows how.

Hours past, with Stretch still crying, and grunting. His eyes droops and his sweat covered skull throbs like a hammer continuously banging his brain. Despite all his efforts, only the baby’s head slides out, and no matter pushing, it wouldn’t go any further. Stretch’s body goes limp, magic blood and fluids leaking everywhere, draining away with his strength.

“I…” he huffs in desperation, “I can’t do it. I’m so tired.”

“You have to, Stretch. Come on, just a bit further,” Edge encourages, but his words holds little meaning.

“I can’t. I can’t,” the other skeleton cries repeatedly, the pain exploding in his uterus, but had no more will to do anything about it.

Edge stares at the child, eye’s skeletal eyes closed, sleeping peacefully. He takes a big breath, realizing what he must do, his fingers twitching.

“Hey, listen to me,” he meets the other’s tired eyes, “One more time, okay? Trust me.”

Tears welled up like he’s going to cry again, but Stretch nods. Without giving himself anytime to back out, Edge grabs the baby’s skull. Fireworks bursts in his soul, his head, his eyes. An overwhelming dam of stars scatters through his veins as a sudden ball of humanity comes crashing in it. His bones tremble, and he looks around, like he’s finally opening his eyes for the first time. Has the fluids always been this orange? Has his bones always been this white? Has the world always been this saturated?

Suddenly, Stretch screams and Edge snaps out of it, pulling the baby out with all his might. The skeleton child slides out easily, squirming and crying in Edge’s arm, covered in orange bodily fluids, yet it’s somehow the most beautiful thing that he’s ever seen in his entire life. Brilliant red tears streams down his face, sniffling and smiling and he strokes his child’s cheek and holds them close to his heart, kissing the top of their head. He rocks the baby to calm their cries and looks up at Stretch. The poor skeleton’s head hangs low, and tired bags form under his eyes, but he manages a small, tearful smile. Edge hands the baby over,  _his_  baby, to meet their other parent. It takes about an hour for Stretch to recover and get on his feet, but when he does, the two of them walk hand in hand, into the light.  

For the first time in his life, Edge’s soul beats.


End file.
